Day: June 5, 2019

Cardinal Burke on Ristgate: “We seem in the Church to have fallen into a kind of totalitarian mentality.”

First, “Ristgate” refers to the papal punishment of Professor John Rist, a Catholic historian and philosopher who challenged Cardinal Cupich during a lecture in Cambridge England in February, 2018, about Pope’ Francis’ “revolution of mercy” which Cupich had just defended as a “paradigm shift” in Catholic practice. Rist more recently joined 90 other scholars in a letter accusing Francis of heresy.
“This is hardly surprising,” says Fr. Hunwicke, commenting on Cardinal Burke’s comment, “considering the papolatrous uebersuperhyperultrapapalism of the ideological cronies who support the Bergoglianist errors.” (Big words offered humorously refer to granting authority to the pope that is not rightly his.

It’s a severe criticism of Pope Francis as a pope exceeding his remit — as severe as you will find, and considerably more intriguing than most criticism.

Hunwicke continues: “Indeed, we . . . actually have so ‘fallen’!!”

Totalitarianism, he says, “has often (. . . always?) in so many cultures been accompanied by the unhealthy, unmanly adulation of the Dear Leader.” (Emphasis added.)

But “totalitarianism eventually cracks. Readers will remember those . . . video clips of the late [Romanian communist dictator] Ceausescu suddenly realising that the crowd spread out beneath his balcony are shouting against him rather than, as they had . . . been drilled to do, in mindless adoration.

“This one will crack, too. . . .” Hunwicke said.

“One detail intrigues me,” he added. “After the fall of totalitarianisms, the custom is that all of a sudden everybody turns out to have been a secret member of the Resistance! In 1945, this proved, miraculously, to be true of every single Frenchman/woman.”

And then he makes reference to the Chicago archbishop, unrelenting defender of the Pope: “Will even dear little Cupich turn out in the next pontificate to have been (behind the scenes, of course) a relentless and indefatigable opponent of Bergoglianism?”

Rist has more recently been banned from access to pontifical (Vatican-backed) universities, including one in Rome where he was turned away from the parking lot without notice and told he could no longer help a student with his dissertation.
He had joined the other scholars in signing a letter issued publicly in April accusing the Pope of heresy.
Fr. Hunwicke was one of the signers, as was Dr. Peter Kwasniewski — who, FYI, will be speaking on June 14 in Chicago at the regular Catholic Citizens of Illinois luncheon at the Union League Club.

WANT Summer General Meeting — West Andersonville Neighbors Together

Had to leave a trifle early last night, but caught a lot that was very good. First, our new alderman, Andre Vasquez, was a huge success, and deservedly so. The questions of course were all about potholes and flooding etc. He was on top of every issue raised. Perfect delivery, even when asked about a political reality by an older person (am a bit sensitive about that) who allowed she was not “political” and he answered with crystal clarity and nary a note of condescension. How good that was.

On other issues, as I say, he was never at a loss, demonstrating wide, detailed knowledge that I found near astounding. Especially as he got it on his own with help of his staff. Quick study, he, which he has to be in view of his having spoken to his predecessor not at all since their last debate. Wow. No help from the grizzled veteran, which I found slightly sickening.

He went on a good half hour, maybe 45 minutes, got polite applause when introduced (and offered a chair, to which no thanks), and hearty applause at the end. The West Andersonville (W.A.N.T.) regular meeting followed, with intelligent complaining from the floor and response from the five-member board sitting in front of us in card chairs, 35 or so, I’d say. It was a place where you could learn a lot about the ‘hood — Foster to Bryn Mawr, Ravenswood to Clark — where the lady of our house and I have lived four years.

Moved from Oak Park, where I was a hound for meetings, mostly in the audience, often reporting on in the local paper and on my blog. Never sat through a better one than last night at Ebenezer Lutheran on Foster. Very encouraging all in all.